BELIEFS & COMMUNITY
The Episcopal Church: beliefs, baptism and common prayer
Religious Values guide · Updated
The Episcopal Church is an Anglican Christian body with a strong tradition of shared liturgical prayer. It affirms the Trinity, reads Scripture through reason and tradition, and centers church life on baptism and the Eucharist. Its prayer book joins statements of belief with commitments about how Christians should live.
This profile concerns the Episcopal Church commonly associated with the United States. It is distinct from ACNA and from the Church of England.
Belief and the Baptismal Covenant
The Baptismal Covenant begins with the faith expressed in the Apostles' Creed, then asks how that faith will be practiced. It connects prayer and fellowship with repentance, proclaiming the gospel, serving others and respecting human dignity. This combination helps explain why Episcopalians often discuss baptism as a continuing vocation, rather than only a ceremony remembered from childhood.[1]
Prayer-book worship and the Eucharist
A service commonly includes set prayers, Bible readings, a sermon and Holy Communion. The congregation participates through responses, prayers and singing. Episcopal worship can be ceremonially elaborate or relatively simple; the use of a common prayer book supplies a shared structure. If you are new, a service leaflet can help distinguish what everyone says from the parts spoken by the minister.[2]
A church with bishops and local communities
Episcopal refers to the church's episcopal structure: bishops have a role in the oversight of dioceses. A local parish belongs to this wider church, rather than being an entirely independent congregation. Questions about confirmation, ministry and membership have both a local and a denominational context. Ask a parish how it teaches newcomers and how its governing body participates in community decisions.[2]
Common questions
Why does the creed use the word catholic?
In the creed, catholic refers to the universal church. Reciting that word does not mean the Episcopal Church is under Roman Catholic governance. It expresses a claim about belonging to the wider Christian church across time and place.[1]
Is Episcopal worship identical to a Catholic Mass?
There are shared liturgical elements, but church authority, teaching and participation rules differ. Ask how a particular Episcopal parish understands Communion and who is invited to receive. Similar prayers or vestments do not make the two institutions the same.[2]
Sources & further reading
The sources below explain the beliefs and practices discussed here. Where a guide describes a broad movement, a named organization illustrates its own approach.
- 1.The Episcopal Church: Baptismal Covenant
The creed and promises that connect belief with Christian conduct.
- 2.The Episcopal Church: What we believe
The church's account of Scripture, sacraments and faith.